Julian still hadn’t woken up. Ivy had died while giving birth to her child with Sam. And Eve was married to Tc, raising J.J. and Abigail. After the first few weeks had gone by, and then the months started flying by, Eve began to lose her faith that Julian would ever wake up. She never stopped visiting him, and never kept J.J. from knowing his father, but ten year old J.J. was used to his lively father, Tc, and loved his older sister who was about to graduate high school. And as for Abby, she never forgot her father. How could she? He was everything to her and still was. She’d visit him everyday after school, but was saddened that she was going to have to leave Harmony soon to attend college in California. Abby was also grateful to Eve for being so kind in taking her in after her mother died.
---

Eve was in her office looking at some charts, sipping her coffee when she received a phone call.

“Yes…oh my God, I’m my way down,” she said and hung up the phone.

Eve stepped off the elevator and walked to room two sixty-five. She stood in the doorway and saw an awakened Julian.

“Julian…” she whispered.

He cut his eyes off of the nurse and looked towards the door and smiled. Finally someone he knew!

“Eve, tell me what I’m doing here,” he said, “I don’t remember being in any accident…”

“Brenda, can you leave us alone?” Eve said and smiled.

“Yes, Dr. Russell…”

Eve saw Julian’s reaction when the nurse said her last name. He seemed to be thinking; trying to remember something.

Brenda left and that left Eve and Julian alone.

“Julian, how are you?”

“I’m fine, Eve, can you please tell me what I’m doing here?” he said, “I really would like to go home and see how Abby’s doing, she must be worried,” he tried to slide his legs over the side, but couldn’t seem to feel them.

Eve noticed his hesitancy.

“Is everything fine, Julian?”

“I…I, can’t feel my legs, Eve,” he looked into her eyes, “Tell me why I can’t feel my legs, Eve…TELL ME!” he began crying.

Eve then sat on the edge of the bed and took Julian’s hands in hers and began telling him everything that happened. Everything…except the fact that she was married, married to Tc Russell.

“I’ve been in a coma for ten years, Eve?” Julian said, not able to believe it.

She nodded.

“But you’re back, Julian…you’re back with us,” she smiled and placed her hand over his.

He looked down at her hand and then held it in his and brought it to his mouth.

“Eve, you still just as beautiful,” he said as he pulled her forward.

“Julian…” she began shaking her head.

“Eve, Ivy’s gone…there’s no one to stand in our way…” he smiled just before his lips captured hers.

She felt uncertain about what she was about to do, but once she felt his lips on hers; Eve could’ve never prevented the inevitable. Her head slanted to the right as his slanted to the left, and their tongues soon found each other. And his lips soon found her chin and then made their way to her neck…

“Eve, Eve…”

“Yes, Julian, yes…” she closed her eyes and ran her fingers through his hair.

“Uh, Dr. Rus…” the nurse stopped, “Oh, I’ll just come back in a few minutes,” she said then left.

Brenda could not believe what she just saw. Dr. Eve Russell was married, happily married at that, and was kissing someone else?

“I guess I got carried away,” Julian laughed as he leaned back against the pillows, “So…” he paused, “…so when can I see Abby and…J.J.?” he smiled, “She must be seventeen right now, and he has to be ten or eleven, right?” Julian said excitedly.

Eve looked down and away.

“Eve? Is something the matter?”

“Julian, I have to tell you about J.J.”

“What? He’s okay, right?”

“Yes,” she confessed, “But, he’s become accustomed to calling Tc his father…”

“I see,” Julian cleared his throat, “Well, I can see how growing up with Tc dropping by; he’d need a male role model in his life…” Julian said then wrinkled his brows when he noticed that Eve wouldn’t make eye contact with him, “Eve?”

“He’s become used to Tc as his father, Julian, because…because we’re married,” she finally said, “We got married two years ago.”

“Married?” he whispered and closed his eyes, “Eve, can I please be alone…for the rest of the evening?” he laid his head down and kept his eyes closed.

“Julian…I…”

“Please, Eve, just go!”

Eve wiped her tears away, took one last look at Julian, and then left his room.

He pounded his fists at his sides! First they couldn’t be together because he was married to that b*tch, Ivy, and now that she was gone, Eve was married?!
---

Julian was sitting up in bed, doing a crossword puzzle, and was about to call it a day.

A day, he thought; a day at two o’clock in the afternoon.

He had just opened the drawer on his nightstand and slipped the book and pencil into it and then pushed it shut, when he heard a knock at his door.

“Come in…”

His eyes met Eve’s. He looked down, sighed, and then met her eyes and spoke…

“Please, Eve,” he shook his head, “I don’t feel up to any visits…maybe some other time…”

“But, Julian,” she said and stepped into the room, followed by a young boy and…Tc, “Someone wanted to say ‘hello’,” she smiled and nudged J.J. with her elbow.

“He-hello,” J.J. smiled briefly.

“Hey,” Julian smiled, “Eve,” he looked to her, “Is this…is this…J.J.?” he laughed.

She nodded. Julian then looked back to his son.

“How’s it going, buddy?” Julian asked.

“G-good,” J.J. answered, “How are you doing today?” he asked back, a rehearsed line from his mother.

“I’m good too…now,” Julian said as he couldn’t seem to stop smiling, “I’m glad you came to visit me…”

J.J. smiled briefly again. He then felt hands on his shoulders. J.J. looked up to see his dad standing right behind him and smiled as his hands rested on Tc’s.

Julian watched their little exchange and looked the other way. That should’ve been him…he should’ve been the one to have raised his son…his son and daughter.

“Julian?” Eve said as she placed her hand on his leg.

He flinched and turned his attention back to the couple and child before him.

“Hmm?”

“You have feeling in your legs?” she asked excitedly.

“Yeah,” he laughed once he realized it, “I guess I have…”

“Well, that’s great!” Eve said and sat on Julian’s bed.

“Mom?” J.J. interrupted, “Can we go now?” he said impatiently.

Eve gave her son a look, and then slowly turned her face to meet Julian’s. She watched his expression.

The smile that once was on his face faded and a look of hurt replaced it.

“You know,” Julian cleared his throat, “I am getting a bit tired,” he yanked on the covers where Eve had been sitting, hinting to her, for them to go.

“Julian…” she began shaking her head.

“Please,” he faked a yawn, “It was nice visiting with you, J.J…” his eyes moved from his son to the man standing behind him, “…Tc,” he nodded and then turned on his side, his back towards them, and pulled the covers over him.

“We’ll come back another time, Julian,” Eve said behind him, “At a time when you’re not tired,” she lied, knowing very well that he was hurt by their son, “Bye, Julian.”

Eve pinched J.J.’s arm and gave him a look.

“Bye…” J.J. simply said.

“Bye,” Julian whispered.

Eve, J.J., and Tc began walking out when the three of them ran into a young girl who was carrying a box.

“Eve?” she looked over Eve’s shoulder, “He’s not asleep, is he?” she whispered.

Julian’s ears perched up and he turned back towards the door. He knew that voice! It was a bit more grown up, but it was still the same.

“Abigail?”

“Daddy!” she cried out and ran past her brother and Eve and into the arms of Julian.

J.J. turned around and watched his sister and father embrace.

“My little girl,” he laughed and cried, “You’re so grown up,” he held her face in his hands and took in the new appearance of his little girl.

His fingers held onto a strand of her hair. He yanked on it and laughed.

“Ow, dad!” she laughed, “You haven’t changed…”

“And neither have you,” he smiled as a tear ran down his face, “Still so beautiful…”

“Aww, daddy,” her cheeks reddened, “God, I’m so glad to have you back,” she pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly.

“Me too, sweetie, me too,” he whispered into her hair.

Julian then noticed the box in her lap.

“What’s this?”

“Up for a game of chess?” she smiled, “I figured we can play while I catch you up on things.”

“You know I’m always up for chess with my little girl,” he placed his hand over hers, “I’m black!” he called first.

Julian glanced back at a smiling Eve and a curious J.J. Abby followed his eyes.

“J.J. come on, you know you like chess too,” she waved her hand invitingly.

“You do?” Julian asked, looking to his son.

He nodded.

“Well, come on, you can play the winner…unless you want to go,” he raised a brow.

“Yeah, come on, J.J.!”

Hearing his sister’s invitation, and the strange man’s, who he had never met, invitation, J.J. shrugged off Tc’s hands from his shoulders and walked towards his sister and…father.

“I…I can never beat her,” J.J. confessed quietly.

“And you never will, squirt!” she grabbed him and rubbed his hair, which made him laugh, and Julian smile at the two.

He was glad…glad that since he never got the chance to get close to his son, that at least his daughter had, and he could tell the two adored each other.

Eve and Tc soon left Julian’s room to give him some alone time with his children.

“Eve, do you think we should leave J.J. alone with Julian?”

“Why not, Tc…Julian is his father.” She said.

Tc looked away.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, “You’re his father too,” she caressed his face.

Tc smiled and then looked behind her. No one was around.

“Come on,” he pulled on her hand and led her into the restroom.

“Tc…what are we doing in here?” she asked.

“This,” he said and pulled her into his arms and kissed her, while his hands undressed Eve.

Tc had lifted a naked Eve onto the restroom counter and entered her quickly. Her arms went around him and held on as he thrust into her.

“Tc…Tc,” she closed her eyes.

Seconds later her eyes opened and stared into the mirror on the wall behind Tc. She blinked, and then blinked again. Why was it that Tc’s complexion appeared to be fair? She then watched as Tc pulled from her and looked her in the eyes. Julian was before her, smiling. Her brows wrinkled.

“Eve,” he smiled and kissed her lips.

Eve’s confusion was replaced with delight as her hands went to cup his face. Her thumbs swept across his eyebrows, and her face leaned forward and met his lips. Her tongue parted his lips and dove in. She needed him; she needed to taste him once again, after knowing his kisses once again from the previous day.

Tc had given one final thrust and hugged Eve to him.

“I love you, baby,” he kissed her neck.

She opened her eyes once again, and stared back at the reflection. Julian was gone, and Tc was back again. He had been the man she was making love with…

“We should get going,” she replied, “To…check on J.J.” she said as she put on her clothes.
---

“Where should I move?” Julian asked his son.

J.J. studied the board and then turned to his father and cupped his hand over Julian’s ear and whispered the next move.

Julian smiled and nodded.

“Good one,” he said as he moved his rook up and took Abby’s queen, “Thanks, buddy!” he wrapped an arm around J.J.

“CHEATERS!” Abby proclaimed and laughed.

Julian’s laughter subsided as his eyes moved towards the door. Eve and Tc had come back. Her eyes looked to his, then to the floor as her mind wandered to the fantasy she had just had minutes before. She swallowed as she felt her cheeks become hot.

“Aww, mom, it’s not time to go, is it?” J.J. whined

She smiled and shook her head as TC fumed inside. Eve was happy that J.J. had had a good visit with his father.